


Claimed

by magicJester



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Prince Baekhyun, quests yay, rest of exo are gods, tae is the younger bro, yongguk is dragged along for the ride
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2018-11-17 23:24:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11278935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicJester/pseuds/magicJester
Summary: Chanyeol is a deity cursed to walk along the mortal world without a purpose.Baekhyun is a prince who might just be able to help him out.And this is a fic I'm typing up on wattpad and thought I'd bring over here.---Guess who lost all her written work - I did, so I'm editing what I've got so I can finally update. New chapter should be up before March.





	1. Prologue

  
The lone figure stood steeped in dust and blood, a deep burgundy mixture splattered across his delicate features. Red tinted protruding ears and flushed, puffy cheeks. His eyes immersed in liquid and the pink afterglow that follows.

The barren earth that surrounded him, littered with bodies and trash. Memories of days past haunting his vision. Memories of the sun and the ocean. Memories of the green grass and scented flowers that would have surrounded him an entire lifetime ago.

He couldn't stay here any longer. He couldn't stop their mortal downfall this time, like all the previous times. It was like some higher force wanted him to suffer more than he already had. That was the curse of a primordial being. That was the logic to his existence. Immortality.

All the others had already found an escape. The one that manipulated the earth. The one who could manipulate his surrounding space. The one who soared. The one that fixed the mortal. The one who formed the vast ocean. The one which lit up the skies with his vast energy. The one which who froze the mountaintops. The one who formed and manipulated consciousness. The one that created time and all it's laws. The one who moved the atmosphere. He was the eleventh. He was the one who was left behind.

His tears cleansed the earth and the land returned back to its original state of splendour. All he could do was reset his prison, where he was placed without sentence. How could he move one without having a purpose? The others had found theirs and left him in the dark.

He knew he had to move on.


	2. Saved

The cool, crisp scent of freshly cut grass filtered through his his nostrils. It was spring days like this that provided the little things that made life worth reliving again.

Over the aeons, he had discovered that his old friend's laws always stayed the same no matter the civilisation nor the state of the world. Time would always remain constant, and the various seasons would reflact that.

He stood back and admired his handiwork. The freshly carved granite surface of the temple glinted in the sunlight.

He had realised early in his immortality that no matter the civilisation, humans would always develop a belief in deities. For some reason each civilisation he has encounted, the number of deities and their purpose remained relitavely constant. Thank goodness he was a minor diety this time. In the last civilisation he he was known as Hachiman. His new name could roll off his tongue for centuries. His new name matched his original one. He was a soldier, a god of war and a god of protection.

He was Chanyeol.  
  
  


Chanyeol moved through the capital's narrow laneways. The city had sprung up around the temple he had built naught but a century ago. Kyungdo was a city dedicated to the diety of that temple - DO of the earth, earth-shaker and harvest-bringer. The city, although compact, held many open areas and recreational sites. Chanyeol knew his 'brother' would have loved the place (he may havce had imput into the creation of the city). The buildings were colourful and reflected the joyous lifestyle of their occupants.

Suddenly he was knocked over into a daze as something had hit him with full force and toppled him over. He looked up at the culprit who was a young male mortal with light brown floppy hair and dark eyes. Chanyeol pulled the stranger and started to check him for possible injuries. He remembered how delicate mortals could be. The stranger snapped out of his own daze and started to try to escape being poked and prodded. "What are you doing?" the stranger asked in a forced whisper. "Are you injured?" Chanyeol asked in retaliation, trying to get the stranger to stop moving about so he could fully examine him. "There's no time!" the stranger shouted, pulling Chanyeol out of his concentrated state. "I don't even know you!" The stranger started to panic. The clanking of armour and leather against cobblestone could be heard of guards and solders were approaching.

Chanyeol didn't know why, but he felt like he needed to help this stranger. He withdrew a necklace from his pocket and put it on the young man. The symbol on the pendant started to glow a fiery orange. A bird. He grasped the stranger's hand and started to pull the stranger towards the main road of the city. It would be easier to help him if he had more room. The confused stranger let himself be pulled along by the elf-like man.

Once they reached the main road, Chanyeol faced the gates of the temple, marking the centre of the city and the end of the main road. He drew a triangle in the air with his finger. The symbol of the transporter started to glow, floating and made of a pulsating purple power. He pushed the symbol away and the triangle turned into a portal, expanding in size until it reached the gates of the temple. Chanyeol picked up the stranger bridal-style and the stranger wrapped his arms around his neck to keep his balance. "Kim Jongin, take me home."

The portal started to glow a bright purple. Chanyeol started to float. The guards and soldiers finally reached the main street. Suddenly the wind in the street was clearing a path for the duo, allowing Chanyeol to surge forward and fly into the portal at an increasing velocity. The Portal instantly closed behind them.

The entire main street stood in silence.as they attempted to process what had just occurred. Everyone knew the soldiers and guards of Kyungdo were notorious for their bias and brutality. So who on earth had saved that boy from their wrath? And who could manipulate the powers of three different gods?  
  
  


Chanyeol tucked the boy into his king sized bed and placed a damp washcloth on his forehead. The stranger had been knocked out by the power of the teleportation process which was lucky. Chanyeol was glad that the stranger hadn't asked questions when he pulled him along or when he picked him up. The fact he was knocked out gave Chanyeol the opportunity to finally do a health check on the poor guy, which concluded in a mild concussion and a light fever.

On the bedside table lay a freshly brewed herbal tea (one of Yixing's favourites) and various sliced fruits. He continued to tend to the stranger and sat by the bed for hours on end, only leaving to fulfil his duties as a deity.

On the third day, they stranger opened his eyes.


	3. Saved (mark II)

The young prince knelt at the mercy of his father. He knew he wasn't allowed to interact with his younger siblings. He would admit to giving in to his younger who was a spoiled brat. Taehyung was just so persuasive.

"Baekhyun, what were you doing in Prince Taehyung's quarters?" His father despised him. Despite being the crown prince, who would one day have unopposed ownership of the kingdom, he was an unclaimed child. Every child was claimed at birth by one of the eleven deities, determining their strengths and powers. Who would want the only unclaimed child in kingdom? What king would be happy with a powerless son without strength nor gifts?

A loud bang was heard as Prince Taehyung burst into the throne room and rushed in front of his brother. "He was only helping me with my studies father!" he exclaimed with his arms outstretched in an attempt to shield his favourite sibling from his father's wrath. "I asked him to." The king's face softened from jade to iron. He turned around to face the crown prince. Why was Taehyung protecting him? The boy hadn't helped him before. "GoÂ into hiding until I can talk some sense into father and this all blows over. I have some friends in Taoris and Zekai who may be able to offer help if you need it." The siblings hugged each other, knowing this would be the last time they'd see each other for a while. "I'll come back soon." Baekhyun promised with a shaky breath. Taehyung squeezed him one last time before he left the room.

Exiting the gates of the palace, he quickly removed and hid his crown, and started to run. He knew his father would have already set the guards on to him. He knew he couldn't be caught.

Not today.

 

He hadn't intended to bump into the man. He had just looked over his shoulder to make sure that the guards weren't behind him. Unfortunately bumping into this stranger had knocked him into a daze. The stranger was quite odd with his silvery hair and sticky-out ears. "What are you doing?" He snapped at the cute stranger in a stage whisper. "Are you injured?" The stranger pressed his hand against Baekhyun's forehead, who smacked it off.

"I'm checking to see if you're injured." the stranger declared. Baekhyun kept on trying to escape but the stranger's grasp was too strong. Today certainly wasn't his day. "There's no time. I don't even know you!"

The over caring stranger stopped and perked up as if he'd heard something. He withdrew a necklace from his pocket and placed it around Baekhyun's neck. He looked down at the glowing symbol - the firebird of the protector, Chanyeol. As far as records go, the protector doesn't have any chosen of his own. No one knew what any of his possible chosen could do. Just who was this mysterious stranger?

The said stranger took Baekhyun's hand into his own and dragged him through the streets and alleyways of Kyungdo. He followed along. This stranger obviously wanted to help him. He didn't know what drew him to that conclusion (maybe the necklace?).

The strangerÂ had managed to drag Baekhyun all the way to the main road of Kyungdo, the Avenue of D.O. Baekhyun watched in awe as the stranger drew a triangular symbol in the air. The purple lines appeared in the air as he carefully outlined the symbol of the gatekeeper, Kai. Maybe the stranger was claimed by the gatekeeper? He pushed the symbol and it flew backwards whilst increasing in size. "Kim Jongin, send me home." the stranger commanded quietly. The symbol developed intoÂ a portal as it reached the gates of the earthshaker's temple. The display of power almost frightened Baekhyun, not many knew the gods true name (outside of the king and crown prince).

The silver-haired stranger picked up the prince bridal-style and Baekhyun instinctively wrapped his arms around the stranger's neck for stability. The portal started to glow a bright purple.Â The strangerÂ started to float. Suddenly the wind in the street was clearing a path for them. From over the stranger's shoulder, Baekhyun could see the guards approaching the main road of the main road of Kyungdo. He grasped the stranger tighter as they started to fly, gaining velocity as they entered the portal.

The last thing Baekhyun saw was the pulsating bright purple of the portal before everything went black.


	4. Saviour?

A bright light hit Baekhyun's eyelids, waking up his somatic nervous system. Slowly opening his eyes, he took a deep breath. The light automatically dimmed, adjusting before he needed to make the effort to. The room was decorated with warm burnt oranges with dusty red and gold embellishments. The walls donned the same shades, arranged into swirling fluid patterns that Baekhyun could almost see move. The fire bird - symbol of the protector, neatly displayed above the headboard in a stark silver, contrasting to the rest of the room. The bed itself was a beautiful king-sized walnut with deep red sheets. On one of the matching bed-side tables fad fruit laid a-top, along with his crown and what he assumed was a pot of tea.'

Facing the bed was a black chair with silver embellishments, in which seated the stranger from before. Baekhyun noted the fact that the stranger was asleep in the chair and slowly started to get out of the bed.

"You're a long way from home. Why were you running away your highness?" The stranger had opened his fiery orange eyes which shone from under his unnaturally silver hair. How he hadn't noticed those distinctive eyes when he first bumped into the guy was a mystery.

Suddenly a thought flashed through his consciousness and he screwed his eyes shut, furrowing his eyebrows. Taehyung was with his father. His not-quite-merciful father. Just thinking about which punishments that monster could deliver to Baekhyun's favourite dongsaeng made his chest tighten. Before he knew it he had stopped breathing out of shock.

The stranger rushed over to the panicking prince. "Breathe with me okay? In... out... in... out." He poured a cup of tea for the prince and Baekhyun felt like he could breathe again. "Your brother is under multiple protections. Your father will find it hard to lay a finger on him. Drink. I's a herbal blend that will help to regain your strength."

"How on earth would you know?"

The stranger smiled. "My name is Chanyeol, but most only know me as 'the protector'. Yes I am a god and yes we are real. Welcome to my humble abode, well, I should say _our_ , but the others haven't been here for a very long time."

Baekhyun nodded in understanding. "I know of those who know of the god's true names. How would that be possible if none of you existed to disclose that information?" The strang- no, Chanyeol just shrugged in response. "I'll look after you for as long as you need. Just a quick question - who was he claimed by?" "Chen of the heavens." The god quickly rushed out of the room.

He returned almost tripping into the room carrying two robes. He himself had gotten changed into his signature fiery orange and gold robes. He gave Baekhyun the lighter of the two robes. The high robes of the protector. "Let's give your brother the highest protection that the gods can provide. I'm going to need your help to create a scene." He explained, sporting the most conniving grin he could sport.

"What do you have in mind?" Baekhyun asked as he slipped on the garment, which shrunk to perfectly fit his smaller frame. "You'll see when we get there." Chanyeol winked as he adjusted the crown on the brunette's head.


	5. Where's dad?

 

"Just know if anything goes wrong say 'Chanyeol protect me', and you should be able to use my powers." Chanyeol pointed out as they stepped out of the portal into the main street of Kyungdo where they had been three days prior. Baekhyun nodded for what seemed like the tenth time that morning. He led the god through the streets, attracting a lot of attention as he did.

Many of the public recognised the robe that their prince wore, which drew their attention to the figure gracefully trailing behind. Chanyeol would draw attention anyway due to his appearance, but his signature robes caused an even bigger stir. Fiery orange with red accents and golden patterns and embellishments. Around his neck hung his symbol emitting power; amplifying his already powerful aura. People parted for the duo and admired them. Their prince had returned and brought with him a god. This was new.

Baekhyun lead Chanyeol to the castle where guards were already waiting for them. The head guard bowed to the deity before letting them both through. Only a god could override the king's authority after all.

They made their way to the throne room where a guard had told them the king had barricaded himself with the second prince. Chanyeol's eyes glowed with power. The air around him lit up with copious amounts of energy and power. "Sehun." the god whispered and successfully blew the doors off their hinges, across the throne room, and out of the opposite windows to where they stood.

In front of the throne stood the deranged king and and the prince lay at his feet. Taehyung looked to be peacefully asleep but something about the image unsettled Baekhyun.

"I see you've managed to evade my protections on the boy." Chanyeol stated. "I hate it when children of the mind abuse their power." Baekhyun's eyes widened. Who was this man in front of them? Everyone knew the king was blessed by the elemental, not the knowledgeable. The gifts offered were vastly different.

"It was difficult, but easier than taking this body." The impostor smirked. "He even left me his gift. Both father and son were pathetic. Their minds were like child's play." Chanyeol's form flickered and he disappeared only for Baekhyun to realise he was holding the impostor via the throat. His eyes glowed even brighter with power as he continued to get angrier. "This family is under _my_ protection. Your punishment is long overdue."

Chanyeol produced a rune-covered crystal from his robe and held it up to the impostor who was trying to escape his death-grip. A black vaporous substance protruded from the impostor's mouth and floated into the crystal. The king's body went limp and the deity laid him down gently on the throne. The impostor's soul safely contained within the crystal which Chanyeol preceded to encase within another rune-covered crystal and layers of protection spells. "How about solitary confinement for the rest of existance?"

Guards had gathered at the entrance to the throne room to see the spectacle unfold. "Get them to their bedchambers. I'll find a way to wake them up." Chanyeol ordered the awestruck guards. Baekhyun watched as the guards took the two limp bodies away, the captain of the guard staying behind.

"I should have known something was wrong protector. I wish we could have done something sooner." The captain of the guard bowed in apology. Chanyeol rested his hand on the man's shoulder gently. "You didn't have enough power Yongguk. You actually did all you could. Thank you for looking after the children for me." He man smiled warmly at Baekhyun and left the room to keep the guards under control.

Suddenly the room dimmed into an almost pitch black and a hole appeared in the floor; resulting in Chanyeol pulling Baekhyun away from the opening before he could fall in. A hand limply emerged from the abyss surrounded in a silver aura. Chanyeol gasped and grasped the hand with his free hand. "Hyung!" He exclaimed as he slowly pulled the body out of the seemingly bottomless pit.

It was a slender body clothed in black and silver. Chanyeol handed him over to Baekhyun, rapidly moving to grasp something else before in fell back into the abyss. Another arm. One the first body was holding quite tightly. This arm had a multi-coloured aura, like a rainbow. Baekhyun quickly set the first body down gently a safe distance away from the hole; only to help Chanyeol who seemed to be struggling with the second body.

After a few minutes of struggling, they finally pulled the second body out of the hole. The hole rapidly closed after they safely put the body down.


	6. Gods can fall from the sky

 

Chanyeol set the body clad in rainbow fabrics down and rushed to the first, which had awoken with a gasp as if he'd not taken a breath ever. "Lu-hyung!" He shouted and hugged the figure in black and silver. The boy - at least he looked young enough to be - had pastel pink hair that fell perfectly off his face and eyes where everything was black aside from white pupils like an inverted eye. The colour of his eyes coupled with his youthful features kind of unnerved Baekhyun out like a porcelain doll would.

"Chanyeol let go. I can't breathe." The boy stated. Chanyeol immediately let go. "Thank you for getting us out of there Chanyeol-ah.I couldn't feel anyone's presence. Where is everyone else?" Chanyeol shook his head. "You all disappeared aeons ago. I thought I'd never see you guys ever again!"

Baekhyun tapped Chnyeol's shoulder. "He's waking up." The other man on the floor coughed and Chanyeol quickly went to attend to him. Baekhyun helped the baby-faced male sit up. "I'm Baekhyun. Let's get you sorted out."

"Nice to meet you prince Baekhyun. I'm Luhan. I feel like my job here has something to do with knowledge? I only caught a short glimpse of this world so I don't know your customs." He bashfully scratched the nape of his neck. Baekhyun nodded. "I remember reading somewhere that Luhan is the major god of knowledge. We have a large library that you can check out later to read up on customs and lore."

"Baekhyun meet Lay the healer." Chanyeol was carrying the rainbow heap. "That tea you had this morning was one of his special blends." The man had short black hair, and a face that looked like he was either tired or really relaxed. His build was lean but well built. "Are you feeling okay Chanyeol-ah? You hair's changed." The man stated and the silver-haired male laughed in response. "I couldn't sleep in my room for a couple nights so I borrowed Jongin's bed. You know my hair likes to do that. Just give me a sec-" His eyes glowed and colour filtered into his hair, bringing it to a bright red hue. "Better?" He asked the healer. "Better." The colourful being concluded.

Chanyeol pulled a choker out of his robe and fastened it around Lay's neck. On the front was the healer's symbol - a unicorn. "Is this my choker that I gave you for -" Chanyeol nodded. "It's like a symbol of power. I suggest wearing it until you can use your powers properly or at least until you're fully recovered. Same goes for you Lu-hyung." He stated as he put the unicon back down on his feet. Baehyun finally noticed Luhan's symbol being in his earrings.

 

 

"So let me get this straight. In this version of civilisation everyone is born with powers based off our own, and someone with my powers attacked Baekhyun's family and Baekhyun is the crown prince of a country made up of towns named after not only ourselves, but ship names?"

Lay snickered at Luhan's synopsis. "They named a city Taoris. It's like a mash between Tao and Yifan. I'm pretty sure Tao would beat up whomever named it."

"They couldn't figure out who to name it after." Baekhyun clarified. "We're in the capital, Kyungdo. The other cities are Taoris, Xiuman, Zekai, Jun, Xingxing and Chandae." "I personally prefer Chandae. The place fits my aesthetic." Chanyeol butted in. "That's because they have a big-ass-statue of you in the square." "True." Lay's snickering turned into soft chuckles that became louder as they entered the king's chamber.

"Do you think you'll be able to bring him back?" Baekhyun asked as Lay finally caught his breath. "I should be able to bring his conscious out of his subconsciousness now that the leech is gone. Being pushed out of bodily control doesn't make you disappear from my experience. It only means you cant affect what you do like a puppet at the mercy of a puppet master." Luhan explained. "That was _not_ a fun Friday night." Chanyeol pouted. "He tested it out on me when he was drunk. Not his best idea." Lay reassuringly massaged Baekhyun's shoulder. "I'll also be here to make sure both the king and Lu-hyung are safe and nothing happens to them out here."

"I'm sort of glad it was you two that were inside that prison. Without either of you guys I wouldn't know what to do." Chanyeol commented on the situation. He may have been able to help a bit, but his forte was protections. Lay and Luhan were masters of body and mind.

"Who was he blessed by?" Luhan asked the prince. "The elemental." The prince answered. "He means Xiu-hyung."

"I will need you to be ready then Chanyeol-ah. We'll need you to stop out here from accidentally freezing over. Blast me if it starts to happen." Luhan closed his eyes and focused on the unconscious king. "I'm about to enter his subconscious."

Peeling away the layers of the King's mind was surprisingly easy for the deity, despite the fortress awaiting him. "Hello? Raymond?" He mentally called out. He heard a shout and used it to locate the lost man. He willed his mental manifestation to the location of the cry and his surroundings changed. He was in a dungeon pit with two things: the lost king, and a creature that looked like a deformed dragon.

He quickly incinerated the creature before it could jump at the king again. He felt a blast of heat and realised that the king's power must be leaking into the physical world. "Raymond, can you please stop with the ice. We have gotten rid of the other presence that pushed you out."

The place started to warm up as the man realised he was no longer in danger and didn't need to use his power anymore. He looked up at the manifestation in front of him. "Who are you?" The king asked, obviously unsettled by the deity's unique inverted eyes. "I am Luhan, god of knowledge. We have punished the soul who has done this t you and now I am here to guide you back. Will you come back with me?"

"I miss my sons. W want to apologise." The king teared up. The deity extended his arm. "He knows you weren't in control Raymond." The king took the deity's hand and the deity gently lead the king out of the confines of his subconsciousness whilst making sure not to damage his mind.

Luhan opened his physical eyes and the king opened his own. "Welcome back your majesty." Lay smiled lazily as he brought the man into a seated position and handed him a cup of herbal tea. "I'll go and take care of your other son." The unicorn left with a maid to go to tend the second prince.

The king stared into his tea. "I'm sorry son." He looked directly into Baekhyun's eyes. "I could only hear what was happening. I would rather die than loose another son." The prince started to cry and hugged his father. "I missed you father."

"I'd like to thank both you and your sons." Chanyeol announced from the door frame. "If it wasn't for your younger son, I would never have happened across Baekhyun which triggered all this being uncovered. Not to mention the freeing of the healer and the knowledgeable from a prison where they've been trapped for aeons." Chanyeol and Luhan both bowed to the royals. "Thankyou."

"How's my other son?" The king inquired. "The healer is with him so he will heal fully. If there's any internal injury, he should be able to take care of it easily. I'll help him safely block or fix anything mentally once he recovers so he won't become affected by PTSD." Luhan answered. "It's the least we can do."


	7. Quest

Chanyeol observed as children laughed and played on the grass surrounded by strange and colourful plants and insects. Their teacher stood close to them as they stayed within her field of vision, sometimes showing her colourful insects and pretty flowers. He sure did love the royal gardens in the spring time.

"Children hold their charm in their naivety." Baekhyun gracefully planted his butt on the bench next to the god. "I guess immortality must be a curse then?" He grinned and placed a folded robe on Chanyeol's lap. It was the high robe he had worn the other day, neatly cleaned and pressed.

"You should keep this prince, it's like a token of friendship. What use would it be locked away with the rest of my things?" The god asked, raising and eyebrow. He placed the folded item of clothing back on the prince's lap.

"Hyung!" A shout came from behind them. At the entrance to the gardens stood the rainbow deity and an over-enthusiastic prince, who sported his signature box-smile and whose eyes crinkled as he was facing the sun.

"Hello Taehyung-ah. How are you feeling?" Baekhyun shouted back at the younger as the duo made their way over. Lay was wearing casual clothes for once, black tight pants and a baggy blue jumper completed by his choker. Prince Taehyung was wearing a white robe over a loose white shirt and black pants, his crown firmly planted on his head. "Lay hyung-nim says I'm almost fully recovered and Lu hyung-nim told me I'm fine now." He jumped up and down. "I'm feeling a lot better hyung."

"Has Lu-hyung managed to sense the others yet?" Chanyeol directed at the deity who sadly shook his head in reply.

Aside from absorbing the knowledge of the large palace libraries in his spare time, the god of knowledge had taken to attempting to find the missing gods - because why would people have their powers if they weren't here? Not only that, but he was overworking himself in training and strengthening his powers to help his self-imposed mission of sorts.

"He needs to stop and rest, there's only so much tea I can give him. It's not healthy." The healer explained. His herb stores were running low - he was the god of healing, not nature.

"I have an idea." Baekhyun directed to the two deities. "If you can convince him to take a week off after you're done here, I can take you three on a tour of the country. There's only so much you can sense in one city." Chanyeol grinned at the idea. It would be fun to show his hyungs the sites of this land that he had nurtured. "You want to force Lu-hyung to rest, so your giving him a reason so Lay-hyung can restock on his special tea?" The healer laughed and rubbed the nape of his neck in embarrassment. "The sad thing is, it might actually work..."

No one noticed the blue butterfly circling their heads.

 

 

"Have you got everything packed?" The king fussed over his eldest, whom was checking his provisions. "Don't worry father, I'm pretty sure Chanyeol hyung-nim has brought whatever I will have forgotten in his storage crystals and his robes - you know what Lu hyung-nim is like." The prince smiled and hugged his father. "Besides, Yongguk is travelling with us."

As if on cue, the captain of the guard walked up to the pair whilst leading four horses. "I still think you'll be fine on your own, seeing as you will be with gods." He pointed out.

"This is being disguised as a formal event and therefore it would raise suspicions if you don't accompany us." Baekhyun retorted. "It's either this or we do a full procession with servants and carpets and the whole shooting match. Which would you prefer?" Yongguk sighed in defeat as the three deities stepped out of a portal next to the prince.

"Feeling better hyung-nim?" He directed at Luhan who nodded. "Lay has stopped nagging about my health too" The duo chuckled as if it was the funniest joke in this plane of existence.

"Did you only pack necessities?" Chanyeol asked eyeing the lack of luggage on the horses. Baekhyun nodded. "Good. I think he's carrying half our house as well as seven full wardrobes on him." Lay joked. "He even packed Lu-hyung's study _and_ my infirmary."

"Which I'm glad about because we can help mortals if we need to and when we find the others we can bring them up to date." Luhan pointed out.

"Told you father." The prince hugged his father one last time before mounting his horse with the other four.

"Stay safe son."

"I will."

Crowds had gathered to line the streets to see the party as they left for the first leg of their trip. It was the first time people had seen the gods - aside from when Baekhyun was leading Chanyeol to the palace, which now the whole country knew about.

Children climbed the trees lining the streets to see and both men and women pushed for a good vantage point. This was a once-in-a-lifetime sight to experience.

Once the party had left the large gates of Kyungdo, they set off in a gallop towards the east. Fist destination - Taoris.


	8. Sky temple

The journey progressed at a steady pace as the party travelled between cities. The five had slowed down from their earlier push from Kyungdo. The sun was brazenly hanging atop its high arc in the sky, the road was clear and so was the weather. Heat caressed the travellers and chased the clouds away, allowing for the sun to heat the air up further. They moved in silence and enjoyed the crisp summer air.

Baekhyun smiled as an orange butterfly landed on his shoulder. A small chuckle escaped his lips, catching the attention of the nearest in their party. "Why do you have a butterfly on your shoulder?" Luhan asked the prince. "What on earth is a butterfly?" The prince replied. The deity pointed at the creature on his shoulder. "That my friend, is a butterfly."

The little creature fluttered its wings in protest. "He says he's not a butterfly hyung-nim. Maybe you're confused?"

Luhan slowly shook his head. "We have them in our garden. They were created as a 200th birthday gift to Sehun, keeper of the winds." Everyone else who finally realised they were leaving the two behind, slowed down to listen or join into the discussion the two were having about the not-butterfly.

"You can talk to animals?" Chanyeol inquired. Did the prince have a dormant power? Was he finally being claimed? "You told me you were unclaimed."

"I still don't have any powers hyung. This creature is the only one who speaks in my mind." Baekhyun stated, eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Ge glanced down at the insect. "His true body is hidden in the dragon's temple? He also wants us to find it fo he can be free? I think he's placid"

"You think?" Lay joined in, questioning the younger's word choice.

"He threatened to burn all your socks Lay hyung-nim." The prince shrugged. "I've never heard of a dragon temple. Do you know what it is Yeol hyung-nim?" Chanyeol started to shake his head when something flashed in his mind and he got an idea.

"It's Kris-hyung's temple I think." The protector answered. "I think he only told me about his other form. He was going to show Tao but they both disappeared before he could. It was right after Seokkie-hyung disappeared."

"I guess it's a good thing the temple is near Taoris then."

 

Grey wisps of fog danced around dark imposing limbs of trees surrounding the party leading their steeds through the forests surrounding the temple. Luckily for the riders, the horses were said to be the most faithful and fearless - staying loyal to the prince and unsettled by the forest. They say that they were once wild and the prince managed to tame them, but that's a story for some other time. The temple itself was made of a dark stone and embellished with the darkest obsidian.

When they reached the ground entrance (there is a separate one for children of the sky), silver torches illuminated themselves to guide their path. The butterfly excitedly fluttered around Baekhyun's head, pulling his hair in the direction of the doorway.

The party cautiously entered the structure. "How did you get the torches to illuminate themselves Chanyeol? They also seem to be extinguishing themselves behind us?" Luhan inquired, marvelling at the silvery glow they omitted upon the walls. "It wasn't me The flame is silver, not orange. Also something else is feeding them the energy." He walked back to an extinguished torch and touched it. A bright warm orange filled that section of the hall before it was put out by the deity, proving his point. The small orange butterfly circled around Baekhyun's head once more before circling a  lit torch a couple of times. "It can't be me Hunnie. I don't have any powers." The prince sighed at the creature.

"It's entirely possible Baekhyun." Luhan pointed out. "It's true you don't have any of _our_ powers, but your energy and aura is unique and doesn't match ours like everyone else's do."

"Your aura is white with silver aspects - just like the lit torches. It's also bright which contrasts to human souls." Lay explained. "I think it has something to do with your power."

Baekhyun picked the butterfly up off his head and stared at the creature. The butterfly started to glow a bright light grey, a slightly darker shade than the surrounding lights.

"Hello hyungs!" A voice shouted. "Thanks Bacon, I owe you one." The deep voice surprised the deities. "Is that Sehun's voice?" Lay squeaked, shocked by the glowing insect. "I don't know? It's been aeons since I've heard his voice." Chanyeol answered. "Is that you Sehun?" The oldest of them all inquired.

"Yes it's me Hannie-hyung." The butterfly answered.

"That explains the socks." Lay mumbled, glaring at the insect. "Funny how you're your own birthday present." "Funny how you were stuck in a hole." The insect retorted.

Luhan smacked Lay up the back of his head. "Can we just keep looking for Sehun's body?"

Baekhyun and Chanyeol took the lead, following Sehun-the-butterfly, Yongguk was in the middle making sure no one drifted away, and the other two were in the back. Chanyeol was filing through his crystals. "I think we will need the infirmary at least - and the bedrooms. I only prepared a couple so I hope you don't mind sleeping with someone." Sehun groaned. "As long as I don't end up with lazy-hyung or Soo-hyung. Sehun kept the party entertained through his tales of after he turned into a butterfly, as they made their way down the temple.

"This place used to be light back when I woke up. On the ceiling was paintings of the sky and the walls were white with emeralds that glowed like stars. Chanyeol-hyung did a beautiful job building this temple. The architecture was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately a prodigy of time locked that all in the past in an attempt to control the sky and kill the king. I overheard the plan soon after I woke up and managed this soul form to escape. In the end he couldn't control it because he hadn't trapped both deities."

"I'm glad it didn't work out for him." Chanyeol commented. "I'd still be lost and Lu-hyung and Lay-hyung would still be trapped." He placed a pendant of a white star around Baekhyun's neck and one of his own symbol on Yongguk. "Keep these okay? They stop side effects of celestial activity against humans. I feel like you might need them soon."

"We're here." Sehun landed in front of a stone archway that was bricked up. "He sealed the throne room. Kris' body should be in there."

"I thought you'd be the only one we would find today."

"Where Kris-hyung goes, I will always end up. Such is the way of the sky."

Baekhyun took a deep breath and with the aura Sehun was weeding him and some of his own, he placed his hand upon the entrance.


	9. King Of The Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just made it within deadline. I have to say, the hardest part about picking up a story you haven't touched is the onslaught of writers' block that plagues all your projects (sorry Bailey, your song will have to wait). I also still need to correct the previous chapters, but I'll try to focus on new content as well.
> 
> It's short I know... Now on with my shitty writing!

The inside of the main room reflected the power struggle over the sky. Green walls and faded paintings, suffocating under golden wisps of time. The space went on forever as the floor faded into clouds and the door disappeared behind them. In the centre of the room stood a set of thrones encased in a translucent crystal. Upon the largest throne sat a figure dressed in white, frozen in apparent slumber.

Baekhyun stood and stared the the crystal in fascination. "Is that..." he trailed off before Sehun flew over to the structure, putting all his might into trying to break through the substance. The prince quickly followed the insect's lead, picking his body off the ground after the third unsuccessful attempt.

"Baekhyun!" The shout came from a few feet away, where the captain of the guard stood, straining against something. The gods were with him, all three straining against the same barrier.

The material of the crystal suddenly reached out, enclosing the prince's foot. The texture smooth, and surprisingly warm as it solidified around his ankle. He looked back at the gods, tears silently flowing down his face as he smiled almost sadly. Chanyeol mirrored the expression and gently placed his hand upon the barrier. "I'm sorry."

Yongguk was now running into the barrier repeatedly without success. "Baekhyun!"  the strain was clear in his baritone. He as starting to break down. Not even a day and he couldn't protect his prince. The smile on the prince's face softened. "I'll come back for you Yongguk." he whispered. The substance was steadily encasing him, already having his lower half in its prison. He quickly grasped a hold of Sehun and launched the butterfly through the barrier that kept the rest of the party separate.

The tears started to flow more freely as he closed his eyes, the substance encasing his neck and finally his face. He welcomed the comfortable darkness.

 

 

The darkness didn't feel cold or lonely as one would expect. It felt father warm and textured. The lure of the darkness was inviting like a warm bed on a cold winter's night. Suddenly an image flashed across Baekhyun's mind. The throne of the sleeping god who'd already succumbed to the darkness, trapped in time, and alone. The darkness started to turn to ice as he panicked. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. It was like his entire existence was unravelling.

White, untainted and pulsing overtook the darkness. The process was rather fast and Baekhyun opened his eyes to find a bedroom, beautifully decorated in forest greens and warm golds. The bed itself was occupied, the body sweating and tossing. Next to the bed was medicine and a damp cloth. An empty chair also sat next to the bed and upon it sat a note. Baekhyun quietly reached over the picked up the aged paper.

I can't help him.

I released the spirit of the wind, but the lord of the sky is too sick for my aid.

I've dedicated my life to freeing him as the king requested, but trapping his sick soul in time isn't the solution.

I pray whomever comes along can help him more than I can.

I'm becoming one with e darkness more and more as each day passes, and I know here is where I'll meet my end.

\- Min Yoongi, timekeeper royal

Baekhyun reached over to the sick god and placed his hand on his forehead. Maybe if he could lend his strength? He felt his energy flow down his arm and out into the sleeping figure. The god's body became encased in a bright white light that slowly turned green. His breathing slowed and his fever visibly broke, green designs creeping from his back to his shoulders and even up his neck.

Baekhyun focused on that warm feeling flowing down his arm until he was too tired to continue. The connection snapped like a sun-baked rubber band, sudden and full of tension. All colour had returned to the sleeping god's pale complexion and as the prince closed his eyes from the exertion of his own energy, forest green eyes stared at him.


End file.
